The first half of Karen Hesse’s ComeOn, Rain! (1999) has us wilting in the sun. Young Tessie is “sizzling like a hot potato”. There’s been no rain for three weeks. “Up and down the block, cats pant, heat wavers off tar patches in the broiling alleyway. . .” References to cool water sneak into the narrative in anticipation of a storm that finally drenches Tessie and her friends. Mammas and children dance in the rain.
Karen Hess tells of a compassionate and clever child who cannot change the weather (or can she?) but can lead others to relief and joy. At the same time, Hesse’s intentional word choice honor assonance, simile, and vocabulary soaked in connotation. Jon J Muth’s subtle watercolor illustrations focus on the characters because this isn’t a picture book about the weather. It’s about the effect weather has on people. It’s a book for our time.
